Advanced card merge machine

ABSTRACT

Advanced card machines and associated card merge methods are provided. A form may be provided from a first supply of forms to a first track that is configured to advance the form. A foldable payment card may be selected from a second supply of foldable payment cards, wherein the selection of the payment card does not result in the payment card being folded. The selected payment card may be advanced, without folding the payment card, along a second track to a position in which the payment card is supplied to the form Additionally, an adhesive may be applied to one of the form or the payment card, and the adhesive may attach the payment card to the form when the payment card is supplied to the form.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to payment card mergemachines, and more specifically to payment card merge machines andassociated merge methods that may be utilized with foldable paymentcards.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Payment cards, such as credit cards, debit cards, gift cards, etc., havebecome a very popular means of making purchases. In many instances,initial payment cards and replacement cards are mailed to a consumer. Tofacilitate mailing, a payment card is typically attached or adhered to apaper mailer form that includes information associated with the paymentcard. Conventional merge machines typically receive a payment card and aform and attach the payment card to the form. However, conventionalmerge machines are typically not configured to receive forms of varyingsizes and types, such as both paper forms and post cards. Additionally,conventional merge machines are not configured to operate on foldablepayment cards, such as the Butterfly™ cards issued by the AmericanExpress Company. Conventional merge machines often cause foldable cardsto be folded as they are processed by the machine, thereby leading tothe machines jamming or potentially being damaged.

Accordingly, a need exists for improved payment card merge machines andmethods for merging payment cards. A need also exists for improvedpayment card merge machines and associated methods that may be utilizedwith foldable payment cards.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Some or all of the above needs and/or problems may be addressed bycertain embodiments of the invention. Embodiments of the advancedpayment card merge machines and associated methods for merging paymentcards and forms. According to one embodiment of the invention, there isdisclosed a payment card merge machine. The payment card merge machinemay include a first feeder, a first track, an applicator, a secondfeeder, a second track, and a controller. The first feeder may beconfigured to receive a first supply of forms and to provide a form fromthe first supply to the first track, and the first track may beconfigured to advance the form. The second feeder may be configured toreceive a second supply of foldable payment cards and select a paymentcard from the second supply without the payment card being folded. Thesecond track may be configured to receive the payment card from thesecond feeder and advance the payment card, without folding the paymentcard, to a position in which the payment card is supplied to the form.The applicator may be configured to apply an adhesive to one of theforms as it is advanced along the first track or the payment card as itis advanced along the second track. The applied adhesive may attach thepayment card to the form once the payment card is provided to the form.The controller may be configured to control the advancement of the firsttrack and the second track.

According to another embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed amethod for merging forms and payment cards. A form may be provided froma first supply of forms to a first track that is configured to advancethe form. A foldable payment card may be selected from a second supplyof foldable payment cards, wherein the selection of the payment carddoes not result in the payment card being folded. The selected paymentcard may be advanced, without folding the payment card, along a secondtrack to a position in which the payment card is supplied to the form.An adhesive may be applied to one of the forms as it is advanced alongthe first track or the payment card as it is advanced along the secondtrack. The adhesive may attach the payment card to the form once thepayment card is supplied to the form. In certain embodiments, theadvancement of the first track and the second track may be controlled byat least one computer.

According to yet another embodiment of the invention, there is discloseda method for merging forms and payment cards. A form may be advancedalong a first track. A foldable payment card may be selected from asupply of foldable payment cards, wherein the selection of the paymentcard does not result in the payment card being folded. The selectedpayment card may be advanced along a second track without folding thepayment card, and the payment card may be provided, via the secondtrack, to the form as the form is advanced along the first track. Anadhesive may be applied to one of the form as the form is advanced alongthe first track or the payment card as the payment card is advancedalong the second track. In certain embodiments, the advancement of thefirst track and the second track may be controlled by at least onecomputer.

Additional systems, methods, apparatus, features, and aspects arerealized through the techniques of various embodiments of the invention.Other embodiments and aspects of the invention are described in detailherein and are considered a part of the claimed invention. Otherembodiments and aspects can be understood with reference to thedescription and the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will nowbe made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn toscale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one example payment card merge machine,according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of an example tape applicator thatmay be utilized in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of an example payment card stagerthat may be utilized in accordance with various embodiments of theinvention.

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of an example payment card selectorthat may be utilized in accordance with various embodiments of theinvention.

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of an example payment card stager thatmay be utilized in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of example tracks that may be utilizedin accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an example method for merging a payment cardand a form, according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Illustrative embodiments of the invention now will be described morefully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichsome, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, theinvention may be embodied in many different forms and should not beconstrued as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, theseembodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicablelegal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

Disclosed are advanced payment card merge machines and associatedmethods for merging payment cards and forms. During operation of anadvanced merge machine, a first supply of forms may be provided, and aform may be selected from the first supply and provided to a firsttrack. The first track may be configured to advance the form throughother components of the advanced merge machine. A second supply offoldable payment cards may also be provided. A foldable payment card maybe selected or picked from the second supply without resulting in thefoldable payment card being folded or collapsed. For example, a card maybe selected by applying pressure to the foldable payment card in adirection that is transverse to that of the fold. Once selected, thepayment card may be advanced along a second track without the paymentcard being folded. The payment card may be advanced along the secondtrack to a position in which the payment card is supplied to the formthat is being advanced along the first track. An adhesive, such as adouble-sided tape, may be applied by a suitable applicator to at leastone of the form as it is advanced along the first track or the paymentcard as it is advanced along the second track. In certain embodiments,the payment card and the form may be attached by the applied adhesiveonce the payment card is supplied to the form. As desired, theadvancement or movement of the first track and the second track may becontrolled by at least one computer. Additionally, the advancement ofthe first track and the advancement of the second track may besynchronized or coordinated.

Various embodiments of the invention may include one or more specialpurpose computers, systems, and/or particular machines that facilitatethe control and/or operation of a card merge machine. A special purposecomputer or particular machine may include a wide variety of differentsoftware modules as desired in various embodiments. As explained ingreater detail below, in certain embodiments, these various softwarecomponents may be utilized to dynamically control the operations of acard merge machine.

Certain embodiments of the invention described herein may have thetechnical effect of merging foldable payment cards and forms. In thisregard, a payment card mailer may be produced. Additionally, certainembodiments of the invention may have the technical effect of mergingfoldable payment cards and forms without folding the payment cards.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one example payment card merge machine 100,according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention. The machine100 may be configured to merge payment cards, such as credit cards,debit cards, etc., with forms, such as pre-printed mailing forms. Themachine 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 may include a form feeder 105, anadhesive applicator 110, and/or a card staging component 115.Additionally, the machine may include a first track 120 and a secondtrack 125.

The form feeder 105 may be configured to receive a supply of forms andprovide a form to the first track 120 for further processing by othercomponents of the machine 100. For example, a stack or other supply ofpaper forms or post cards may be received by the form feeder 105.Individual or single forms may be pulled from the stack and furtherprocessed by the form feeder 105. One or more processed forms may thenbe supplied by the form feeder 105 to the first track 120.

The form feeder 105 may include any number of components as desired invarious embodiments of the invention. For example, the form feeder 105may include a sheet separator 130, an accumulating area 132, and/or aform folder 134. A sheet separator 130 may separate or pull one form(e.g., sheet or card) from a supply of forms. Additionally, as desired,the sheet separator 130 may include one or more suitable reader devices,such as a suitable bar code scanner or optical reader device, that areconfigured to scan or read information that is preprinted on the form,such as a bar code that includes payment account information for apayment account associated with the form. In certain embodiments, atleast a portion of the information read from the form may becommunicated to a suitable controller, such as the controller 150discussed in greater detail below.

A wide variety of different types of sheet separators 130 may beutilized as desired in various embodiments of the invention, includingbut not limited to, a cut sheet feeder and/or a stream feeder. Incertain embodiments, the type of sheet separator 130 that is utilizedmay be determined based at least in part upon a type of form that issupplied to the form feeder 105. For example, a cut sheet feeder may beutilized in association with paper forms and a stream feeder may beutilized in association with post card forms. As desired, multiple sheetseparators may be provided. Additionally, two or more sheet separatorsmay be interchangeable in certain embodiments of the invention.

A wide variety of different types of forms may be supplied to the feeder105 and/or the sheet separator 130 as desired in various embodiments ofthe invention. Suitable types of forms include, but are not limited to,paper forms, post cards, index cards, etc. Supplied forms may include awide variety of different dimensions and/or sizes as desired. Forexample, various sizes of paper forms or various sizes of index cardsmay be supplied.

The accumulating area 132 may facilitate the accumulation or gatheringof multiple forms or multiple pages prior to providing the accumulatedforms to first track 120. For example, a first form that includes barcode information and or payment information and other forms that includeadditional information associated with a payment card (e.g., accountactivation information, terms and conditions associated with an account,etc.) may be accumulated together within the accumulating area 132. Anynumber of forms may be accumulated as desired in various embodiments ofthe invention. As desired, the accumulating area 132 may be utilized toaccumulate different types of forms and/or forms that include differentdimensions. If multiple forms are not desired for a particular mergeactivity, then the accumulating area 132 may pass a single form along toanother component of the machine 100.

The form folder 134 or folding area may be configured to perform one ormore folds on a form or on multiple forms prior to providing the form(s)to the first track 120. Any number of folds may be performed as desiredin various embodiments of the invention. Additionally, folds may beperformed in any desired direction. A wide variety of different types offolding devices may be incorporated into the form folder 134, includingbut not limited to, one or more buckle folders, one or more knifefolders, one or more plow folders, one or more paper folders, one ormore pneumatic folding machines, and/or any combination of foldingdevices. In one example embodiment, the form folder 134 may include asuitable buckle folder. If no folds are desired, then the form folder134 may pass a form or accumulated forms along to another component ofthe machine 100.

According to an aspect of the invention, the form feeder 105 may providea form, which may be a single or accumulated form, to the first track120. In this regard, a payment card may be merged or attached to theform. The form feeder 105 that is described above is provided by way ofexample only and it will be appreciated that a wide variety of suitableform feeders may be utilized as desired in various embodiments of theinvention. One example of a suitable form feeder is described in U.S.Pat. No. 7,516,949, which is incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety.

The first track 120 may be configured to receive a form from the formfeeder 105 and advance the received form through other components of themachine 100. Once a payment card has been attached to the form, thefirst track 120 may facilitate the advancement of the form and thepayment card. In certain embodiments, the first track 120 may includeany number of rollers, such as pinch rollers or other suitable rollers,that facilitate the advancement of the form. The rollers may becontrolled by one or more suitable motors, such as one or more suitableservo motors. In this regard, the components of the first track 120 maybe relatively stationary components that facilitate the advancement ofthe form. In other embodiments, the first track 120 may include at leastone suitable transport belt on which the form may rest as it isadvanced. The transport belt may then be moved by one or more pulleys,conveyors, and/or motors. In yet other embodiments, the first track 120may include a combination of belts and rollers.

In certain embodiments, the advancement of the form along the firsttrack 120 may be facilitated by any number of motors and/or pulleysassociated with the first track 120. For example, a plurality of motorsmay control the rotation of one or more belts and/or a plurality ofrollers associated with the first track 120. A wide variety of suitabletypes of motors may be utilized as desired in various embodiments of theinvention, including but not limited to, servo motors, direct currentelectric motors, alternating current electric motors, synchronouselectric motors, induction motors, and/or a combination of multipletypes of motors. In certain embodiments, a plurality of servo motors maybe utilized to control the first track 120 and/or certain operations ofother components of the machine 100, such as the adhesive applicator110, the card staging component 115, etc. As desired, the motors may becontrolled by and/or synchronized by at least one controller, such asthe controller 150 described below. For example, the motors may beelectronically geared together. In certain embodiments, each motor mayinclude control logic and/or software that facilitates the operation ofthe motor and/or the synchronization of the motors.

The adhesive applicator 110 may be configured to apply an adhesive to aform that is advanced along the first track 120. For example, theadhesive applicator 110 may be positioned above the first track 120, andan adhesive may be applied or otherwise supplied to a form moving belowthe adhesive applicator 110. The applied adhesive may facilitate theattachment of a payment card to the form. A wide variety of differenttypes of adhesives may be applied to a form as desired in variousembodiments of the invention, including but not limited to, adouble-sided tape, a liquid adhesive, glue, etc. Additionally, anadhesive may be applied to any number of a wide variety of differentareas or sections of a form as desired in various embodiments of theinvention. In one example embodiment, the adhesive applicator 110 may bea suitable tape applicator that is configured to apply a double-sidedtape to a form that is advanced along the first track 120. One exampleof a suitable tape applicator 110 is described in greater detail belowwith reference to FIG. 2.

As an alternative to applying an adhesive to a form that is advancedalong a first track 120 positioned below an adhesive applicator 110, incertain embodiments, the adhesive applicator 110 may receive a form andprocess the form in order to provide an adhesive to the form. The formmay then be supplied to another component of the machine 100, such as tothe first track 120 or to a component that is configured to attach apayment card to the form.

Alternatively, in certain embodiments, a suitable adhesive applicatormay be configured to apply an adhesive, such as a double-sided tape, toa payment card prior to the payment card being supplied to a form. Anadhesive applicator that applies an adhesive to a payment card mayoperate in a similar manner as the adhesive applicator described abovefor a form. Additionally, in certain embodiments, an adhesive may beapplied to both a form and a payment card.

The card staging component 115 may be configured to receive a supply ofpayment cards and select a payment card for provision to a form that isadvanced along the first track 120. In certain embodiments, a stack ofpayment cards may be supplied to the card staging component 115.Individual or single payment cards may be pulled from the stack andfurther processed by the card staging component 115. Account data and/orother data included on or recorded on the payment card may be read orscanned by one or more suitable reader devices, such as a magneticstripe reader, radio frequency (RF) reader, optical reader device, etc.In this regard, at least a portion of the information stored on thepayment card may be compared to information included on the form and adetermination may be made as to whether the payment card and the formmatch. After information or data is read from the payment card, thepayment card may then be provided or supplied to a corresponding formthat is being advanced along the first track 120.

A wide variety of different types of payment cards may be received bythe card staging component 115, including but not limited to, creditcards, debit cards, gift cards, stored valued, cards, etc. According toan aspect of the invention, the card staging component 115 may beconfigured to receive a supply of foldable payment cards. A foldablepayment card may be configured to fold or collapse in at least onedirection. For example, a foldable payment card may include a fold thatextends approximately through the center of the card in a lengthwisedirection or in a direction corresponding to an elongated edge of thepayment card. In this regard, the payment card may be folded forrelatively easy storage and/or portability, such as storage in arelatively small container that may be attached to a key chain. Oneexample of a suitable foldable payment card is the Butterfly Card thatis offered by the American Express Company™. According to an aspect ofthe invention, the card staging component 115 and other components ofthe machine 100 may be configured to provide a foldable payment card toa form without folding or collapsing the payment card.

The card staging component 115 may include a wide variety of differentcomponents as desired in various embodiments of the invention. In oneexample embodiment, the card staging component 115 may include a cardpicker, a card reader, and/or a second track 125. A card picker or cardpicker component may be configured to receive a supply of payment cards,such as foldable payment cards. For example, the card picker may beconfigured to receive a stack or other supply of payment cards. Incertain embodiments, the card picker may include one or more suitablesleeves or guides that facilitate the receipt of a stack of paymentcards.

The card picker may further be configured to select or pick a singlepayment card, such as a bottom card on the stack, from the supply andprovide the payment card to another component of the card stagingcomponent 115, such as the second track 125. According to an aspect ofthe invention, the card picker may select a single foldable payment cardwithout folding the payment card. For example, in certain embodiments,the card picker may include a cam or other suitable device that isconfigured to pull or otherwise select a single payment card from thesupply and provide the payment card to the second track 125. The cam maybe operable to flex the payment card in a direction other than thedirection of the fold included on the payment card. For example, thepayment card may be flexed in a direction that is transverse to thedirection of the fold. In this regard, the payment card may be forcedunder a suitable roller that pulls the payment card onto and/or alongthe second track 125. One example card picker and its operation aredescribed in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

The card reader may include one or more suitable reader devices and/orsensor devices that are configured to read or otherwise extract dataand/or other information from a payment card. For example, the cardreader may include one or more magnetic stripe readers, radio frequency(RF) readers, etc. that are configured to read payment accountinformation from the payment card. As desired, information that is readfrom a payment card may be communicated to a controller, such as thecontroller 150 described in greater detail below. In certainembodiments, the card reader may read information from the payment cardas the card is advanced along the second track 125. For example, apayment card may rest on the second track 125 and be directed through acard reader by one or more rollers.

The second track 125 may be configured to receive a payment card fromthe card picker and advance the payment card through the card stagingcomponent 115. Additionally, the second track 125 may be configured tosupply or provide the payment card to a corresponding form that is beingadvanced along the first track 120. The components of the second track125 may be similar to those of the first track 120. For example, thesecond track 125 may include one or more rollers, such as pinch rollersor other rollers, that are configured to advance a payment card alongthe track 125. The rollers may be controlled by one or more suitablemotors, such as one or more suitable servo motors. In this regard, thecomponents of the second track 125 may be relatively stationarycomponents that facilitate the advancement of the payment card. In otherembodiments, the second track 125 may include at least one suitabletransport belt on which the payment card may rest as it is advanced. Thetransport belt may then be moved by one or more pulleys, conveyors,and/or motors.

In certain embodiments, the advancement of the payment card along thesecond track 125 may be facilitated by any number of motors associatedwith the second track 125. For example, a plurality of motors maycontrol the rotation of a plurality of rollers associated with thesecond track 125. A wide variety of suitable types of motors may beutilized as desired in various embodiments of the invention, includingbut not limited to, servo motors, direct current electric motors,alternating current electric motors, synchronous electric motors,induction motors, and/or a combination of multiple types of motors. Incertain embodiments, a plurality of servo motors may be utilized tocontrol the second track 125. As desired, the motors may be controlledby and or synchronized by at least one controller, such as thecontroller 150 described below.

According to an aspect of the invention, the payment card may beadvanced along the second track 125 without folding the payment card.Additionally, at least a portion of the second track 125 may bepositioned above the first track 120, and the second track 125 mayinclude an inclined section or inclined portion that is configured toprovide a payment card from the second track 125 to a corresponding formpositioned on the first track 120. For example, the second track 125 mayadvance a payment card off of an edge of the inclined portion such thatthe payment card makes contact with the adhesive that has been appliedto a corresponding form. The payment card may then be pressed into theadhesive by one or more rollers associated with the first track 120,thereby facilitating a bond or connection. One example second track 125is described in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

As an alternative to supplying a payment card to the first track 120positioned below a second track 125 of the card staging component 115,in certain embodiments, the card staging component 115 may receive aform that has an adhesive, and the card staging component 115 mayprovide a payment card to the form such that the card is attached to theform via the adhesive. The form and attached payment card may then besupplied to another component of the machine 100, such as to the firsttrack 120 or to a component that is configured to fold the form and/orstuff the form into one or more envelopes.

In certain embodiments, a positioning of the adhesive applicator 110and/or the card staging component 115 may be variable or adjustable in alateral direction. For example, the adhesive applicator 110 and/or thecard staging component 115 may be mounted on one or more rails orbrackets, and the adhesive applicator 110 and/or card staging component115 may be shifted along the rails. In this regard, the lateralpositioning of an adhesive and a payment card that is provided to a formmay be adjusted. Additionally, the vertical positioning of an adhesiveand a payment card that is provided to a form may be controlled by theadvancement of the form along the first track 120.

In certain embodiments of the invention, once a payment card has beenattached to a form, the form may be folded any number of times. Forexample, the machine 100 may include one or more form folders 140, suchas plow folders, buckle folders, knife folders, pneumatic foldingmachines, and/or any combination of folding devices. In one exampleembodiment, the machine 100 may include a plow folder that is configuredto fold the form following the attachment of the payment card. Thefolding of a form may facilitate the stuffing of the form into anenvelope or mailer.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the machine may include one or moresensors 142 that are configured to determine whether a payment card hasbeen attached to a form. A wide variety of suitable types of sensors maybe utilized as desired, such as optical sensors. An optical sensor mayscan a form and measure a thickness of the form. Based at least in parton the measured thickness, a determination may be made as to whether apayment card has been attached to the form. In certain embodiments, thedetermination may be made by suitable circuitry, controllers, and/orcontrol logic associated with the optical sensor. In other embodiments,the determination may be made by one or more controllers incommunication with the optical sensor, such as the controller 150described in greater detail below.

The machine 100 may additionally include an output component 144 that isconfigured to collect forms to which payment cards have been attached. Awide variety of suitable output components 144 may be utilized, such asa collection bin. In certain embodiments, the output component 144 mayinclude a divert bin 146 or divert component, and problem forms may bediverted, directed, or routed to the divert bin 146. For example, formsthat do not include a payment card and/or forms that include paymentaccount information that does not match payment account information foran attached card may be diverted or directed to the divert bin 146. Inthis regard, certain quality control may be performed by the machine100.

The machine 100 may further include at least one controller 150 orsuitable control system. The controller 150 may be configured,programmed, or operable to control the operation of one or more othercomponents of the machine 100, such as the motors associated with thefirst track 120, the second track 125, and/or other components.Additionally, in certain embodiments, the controller 150 may beconfigured, programmed, or operable to analyze and/or otherwise processinformation, data, and/or measurements, received from other componentsof the machine 100. For example, the controller 150 may be configured todetermine whether payment account information read from a form matchesor otherwise corresponds to payment account information read from apayment card. As another example, the controller 150 may be configuredto determine whether a payment card has been attached to a formutilizing measurements data received from an optical sensor 142. Asshown in FIG. 1, a plurality of connections 148 may facilitatecommunications between the controller 150 and any number of othercomponents of the machine 100. A wide variety of different types ofsuitable connections may be utilized to facilitate communication, forexample, direct network connections, local area network connections,wide area network connections, Internet connections, Bluetooth™ enabledconnections (trademark owned by BLUETOOTH SIG, INC.), radio frequencynetwork connections, cellular network connections, any suitable wiredconnections, any suitable wireless connections, and/or any suitablecombinations of connections.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the controller 150 may be a suitableprocessor driven device that is capable of controlling the operation ofthe machine 100. Examples of suitable controllers include, but are notlimited to, application specific circuits, microcontrollers,minicomputers, personal computers, servers, other computing devices andthe like. The controller 150 may include any number of processors 161that facilitate the execution of computer-readable instructions tocontrol the operations of the controller 150. By executingcomputer-readable instructions associated with controlling certainoperations of the machine 100, the controller 150 may form a specialpurpose computer or special purpose machine that controls the merging ofa payment card to a form.

In addition to one or more processor(s) 161 the controller 150 mayinclude one or more memory devices 162, one or more input/output (“I/O”)interfaces 163, and one or more network interfaces 164. The one or morememory devices 162 or memories may be any suitable memory devices forexample, caches, read only memory devices, random access memory devices,magnetic storage devices, etc. The one or more memory devices 162 maystore data, executable instructions, and/or various program modulesutilized by the controller 150, for example, data files 165, anoperating system 166, a memory control module 167 or motor controlapplication and/or a data verification module 168 or data controlapplication. The data files 165 may include stored data associated withthe operation of the machine 100, stored data associated withinformation read by one or more reader devices, stored measurements datareceived from the various sensors, and/or stored data associated with adetermination made by the controller 150.

In certain embodiments of the invention, the controller 150 may includeany number of software applications that are executed to facilitate theoperations of the controller 150. The software applications may includecomputer-readable instructions that are executable by the one or moreprocessors 161. The execution of the computer-readable instructions mayform a special purpose computer that facilitates the merging of paymentcards and forms. As an example of a software application, the controller150 may include an operating system (“OS”) 166 that controls the generaloperation of the controller 150 and that facilitates the execution ofadditional software applications. The controller 150 may also include amemory control module 167 that is programmed, configured, or operable tocontrol, coordinate, and/or synchronize the operation of one or moremotors, such as servo motors, associated with the machine 100. Thememory control module 167 may be in communication with any number ofmotors incorporated into other components of the machine 100, includingbut not limited to the adhesive applicator 110, the card stagingcomponent 115, the first track 120, and the second track 125. The memorycontrol module 167 may monitor and control the operations of each of themotors as any number of forms and payment cards are advanced through themachine 100. In this regard, the advancement of the forms and cards maybe synchronized or coordinated.

Additionally, the controller 150 may include a data verification module168 that is programmed, configured, or operable to verify paymentaccount information for merged forms and payment cards. The dataverification module 168 may receive, from the form feeder 105 or anothercomponent of the machine 100, payment account information read from aform. Additionally, the data verification module 168 may receive, fromthe card staging component 110 or another component of the machine 100,payment account information read from a corresponding payment card thatwill be supplied to the form. The data verification module 168 maydetermine whether the information for the form matches or corresponds tothe information for the payment card. In this regard, the dataverification module 168 may determine whether a payment card matches aform to which the payment card is attached. If the data verificationmodule 168 determines that a payment card and form do not match, thenthe data verification module 168 may take a suitable control action,such as directing the form to the divert bin 146 or shutting off themachine 100.

The one or more I/O interfaces 163 may facilitate communication betweenthe controller 150 and one or more input/output devices, for example, auniversal serial bus port, a serial port, a disk drive, a CD-ROM drive,and/or one or more user interface devices, such as, a display, keyboard,keypad, mouse, control panel, touch screen display, microphone, etc.that facilitate user interaction with the controller 150. The one ormore I/O interfaces 163 may be utilized to receive or collect dataand/or user instructions from a wide variety of input devices. Receiveddata may be processed by the controller 150 as desired in variousembodiments of the invention and/or stored in the one or more memorydevices 162.

The one or more network interfaces 164 may facilitate connection of thecontroller 150 to one or more suitable networks and/or connections, forexample, the connections 148 that facilitate communications with othercomponents of the machine 100. In this regard, the controller 150 mayreceive data from one or more sensors or readers and/or communicate dataand/or commands to other components of the machine 100. The one or morenetwork interfaces 164 may further facilitate connection of thecontroller 150 to one or more suitable networks, for example, a localarea network, a wide area network, the Internet, a cellular network, aradio frequency network, a Bluetooth™ enabled network (trademark ownedby BLUETOOTH SIG, INC.), a Wi-Fi™ enabled network (trademark owned byWi-Fi Alliance Corporation), any wired network, any wireless network,etc. for communication with external devices and/or systems.

According to an aspect of the invention, the machine 100 may include arelatively small footprint and/or relatively small dimensions. Forexample, the machine 100 may include a footprint of no more thanapproximately twelve feet by approximately six feet. In this regard, themachine 100 may be significantly smaller than conventional card mergemachines. Additionally, in certain embodiments, the machine 100 may beconfigured such that it may be operated by a single individual oroperator. For example, the machine 100 may be configured in a U-shape oran approximate U-shape, and the operator may stand in the middle of theU-shape. The operator may then easily supply forms and payment cards tothe machine 100 and retrieve merged forms from the machine 100.

As desired, embodiments of the invention may include a machine 100 withmore or less than the components illustrated in FIG. 1. The machine 100of FIG. 1 is provided by way of example only. Indeed, the machine 100may include any number of additional components as desired in variousembodiments of the invention. For example, the machine 100 may include acomponent that is configured to stuff or position folded or unfoldedforms into one or more envelopes that facilitate mailing of the forms.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of an example adhesive applicator 200that may be utilized in accordance with various embodiments of theinvention. The illustrated adhesive applicator 200 may be incorporatedinto a suitable card merge machine, such as the machine 100 illustratedin FIG. 1. For example, the adhesive applicator 200 may be one exampleof the adhesive applicator 110 described above with reference to FIG. 1.The adhesive applicator 200 may be a suitable tape applicator that isconfigured to apply a double-sided tape to a form. The double-sided tapemay then facilitate the attachment or merging of a payment card to theform.

With reference to FIG. 2, the adhesive applicator 200 may include asupply 205 of double-sided tape, such as one or more reels or spools ofdouble-sided tape. Double-sided tape may be provided from the supply 205to a knife component 210 via any number of rollers 215 or guides. Whenthe double-sided tape is pulled around an edge of the knife component210, the tension created by the relatively rapid change in direction mayseparate the tape from its backing, and the tape may be deposited on aform that is positioned below the knife component 210. For example, thetape may be deposited on a form that is positioned on a track below theknife component 210, such as the first track 120 illustrated in FIG. 1.The backing may then be provided to a collecting point 220, such as acollection reel or spool.

According to an aspect of the invention, the advancement of thedouble-sided tape through the adhesive applicator 200 may be controlledby one or more motors and/or rollers. For example, a suitable firstmotor 225, such as a servo motor, may control the operation of one ormore rollers, such as one or more pinch rollers 230. The pinch roller230 may pull the tape backing on the back side of the knife component210, thereby maintaining a sufficient tension to separate the backingfrom the tape at an edge of the knife component 210. Additionally, asdesired, a second motor 235, such as a second servo motor, may controlthe advancement or rotation of the tape supply 205. For example, thesecond motor 235 may periodically flex a first feed arm 240 or springarm that is configured to rotate the tape supply 205. In this regard, adesired amount of slack may be provided for the tape that is pulled bythe pinch roller 230, thereby reducing or eliminating an amount of workperformed by the pinch roller 230 to rotate the tape supply 205. Oncethe backing is pulled through the pinch roller 230, the collection ofthe backing may depress a second feed arm 245. Once the second feed arm245 reaches a desired point, a third motor 250 may rotate or turn thecollecting point 220, thereby winding any loose backing onto acollection reel.

As desired, the first motor 225, second motor 235, and third motor 250may be electronically geared together and/or synchronized. In thisregard, the operations of the various components of the adhesiveapplicator 200 may be coordinated. Additionally, the motors 225, 235,250 may be electronically geared to and/or synchronized with motorsincorporated into other components of the machine 100, such as one ormore motors that facilitate the advancement of a form along the firsttrack 120. As desired, a suitable controller, such as the controller 150illustrated in FIG. 1, may monitor the motors and facilitate thesynchronization of the motors.

In certain embodiments, one or more sensors 255 may be provided that areconfigured to sense gaps between individual pieces of tape included in asupply of double-sided tape. In this regard, the advancement of the tapeby the pinch roller 230 may be controlled in a relatively accuratemanner such that a piece of tape will be provided to a desired locationof a form. A wide variety of different sensors may be utilized invarious embodiments of the invention, such as a suitable optical sensor.As desired, the measurements or determinations of the sensor 255 may beprovided to the first motor 225 and/or to a controller 150 that isconfigured to control the operation of the pinch roller 230.

Additionally, as shown in FIG. 2, the adhesive applicator 200 may bemounted to one or more suitable brackets 260 that facilitate theadjustment of the adhesive applicator 200 in a lateral or side-to-sidedirection. For example, a position of the adhesive applicator 200 may beadjusted along the length of the brackets 260. In this regard, thepositioning of a piece of tape supplied to a form that is advancedunderneath the adhesive applicator 200 may be varied in a lateraldirection. In certain embodiments, the brackets 260 may include slidesor rails, and the positioning of the adhesive applicator 200 on thebrackets 260 may be adjusted by sliding the adhesive applicator 200along the slides. The adhesive applicator 200 may then be locked intoplace once a desired position is reached.

As desired, embodiments of the invention may include an adhesiveapplicator 200 with more or less than the components illustrated in FIG.2. Additionally, an adhesive applicator with alternative components maybe utilized in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. Forexample, an adhesive applicator that provides a liquid adhesive to aform may be utilized. As another example, an adhesive applicator thatprovides an adhesive to a payment card rather than to a form may beutilized. Additionally or alternatively, an adhesive applicator may beprovided that is configured to apply an adhesive to a payment card priorto the payment card being supplied to a corresponding form. The adhesiveapplicator 200 of FIG. 2 is provided by way of example only.

FIGS. 3-5 illustrate an example payment card stager 300 that may beutilized in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. Theillustrated card stager 300 may be incorporated into a suitable cardmerge machine, such as the machine 100 illustrated in FIG. 1. Forexample, the card stager 300 may be one example of the card stagingcomponent 115 described above with reference to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of an example payment card stager 300that may be utilized in accordance with various embodiments of theinvention. The card stager 300 may include, among other components, apayment card supply 305, a card picker 310 or card selector, and apayment card track 315. The payment card supply 305 may be configured toprovide a supply of payment cards to the card picker 310. For example, astack of payment cards may be provided to the card picker 310. One ormore guides 320 or brackets may be utilized to secure the stack ofpayment cards within the card supply 305.

The card picker 310 or card selector may be configured to select or picka single payment card from the stack of payment cards. For example, thecard picker 310 may be configured to select a bottom card from thestack. According to an aspect of the invention, the card may be afoldable payment card, and the card may be selected without folding thecard. Once a payment card has been selected, the payment card may beprovided to the payment card track 315. In certain embodiments, the cardpicker 310 may include a cam or other suitable device that is configuredto pull or otherwise select a single payment card from the stack andprovide the payment card to the track 315. The cam may be controlled byone or more suitable motors, such as a gear motor 325, and the cam maybe configured to flex the payment card in a direction other than thedirection of the fold included on the payment card. For example, thepayment card may be flexed in a direction that is transverse to thedirection of the fold. In this regard, the payment card may be forcedunder a suitable roller that pulls the payment card onto and/or alongthe track 315. The example card picker 310 is described in greaterdetail below with reference to FIG. 4.

The payment card track 315 may include a first portion 330 and a secondportion 332. The first portion 330 may include a relatively flatportion, and the second portion 332 may include an inclined portion. Thefirst portion 330 may receive a payment card from the card picker 310and provide the payment card to the second portion 332. The secondportion 332 may then provide the payment card to a form that is advancedalong a separate track, such as the first track 120 illustrated inFIG. 1. The payment card track 315 may include one or more suitablebelts, such as one or more timing belts 334, that are advanced by anynumber of pulleys. In this regard, one or more payment cards may beadvanced along the track 315. Additionally or alternatively, any numberof suitable rollers 336 may facilitate the advancement of cards alongthe track 315. The timing belt(s) 334 and rollers 336 may alsofacilitate the advancement of foldable payment cards in a relativelyflat position such that foldable payment cards will not be folded. Theoperation of the timing belt(s) 334 and/or rollers 336 may be controlledby one or more suitable motors (element 338 of FIG. 5), such as one ormore suitable servo motors. As desired in various embodiments, themotors 338 may be electronically geared and/or synchronized in a similarmanner as the motors 225, 235, 250 discussed above with reference toFIG. 2. In this regard, the advancement of a payment card along thetrack 315 may be coordinated with the advancement of a correspondingform along a separate track such that the payment card will be suppliedto an adhesive (e.g., a double-sided tape) that has been provided to theform.

In operation, a payment card may be advanced along the first portion 330by a timing belt 334 and/or rollers 336 until the payment card makescontact with a return guide 340, such as a spring loaded return guide.As the payment card is advanced off of the first portion 330, thepayment card may depress a spring within the return guide 340. Thereturn action of the spring combined with a roller 342 that isconfigured to force the card downward may drive the payment card ontothe second portion 332 via a gap between the first portion 330 and thesecond portion 332. The payment card may then be advanced along theinclined second portion 332 until it is provided to a correspondingform. For example, the payment card may be advanced along the secondportion 332 until the payment card reaches the end of the second portion332. The payment card may then fall off of the second portion 332 ontoan adhesive that has been provided to a corresponding form that isadvanced along a track 120 that is below the second portion 332. Thepayment card may then be pressed into the adhesive by one or morerollers associated with the track 120 on which the form is advanced. Inthis regard, the payment card may be provided to a form without thepayment card being folded.

In certain embodiments, a suitable adhesive applicator may be configuredto apply an adhesive, such as a double-sided tape or a liquid adhesiveto the payment card as the payment card is advanced along the paymentcard track 315. The payment card with the applied adhesive may then besupplied by the payment card track 315 to the form, which may or may notinclude an applied adhesive. As desired, the payment card and the formmay then be pressed together by one or more rollers associated with thetrack 120 on which the form is advanced.

In certain embodiments of the invention, one or more reader devices 345,such as magnetic stripe readers and/or RF readers may be associated withthe payment card track 315. For example, one or more reader devices 345may be incorporated into the track 315 near the return guide 340. Asdesired, redundant reader devices may be utilized. As a payment card isforced onto the second portion 332, the payment card may pass throughthe reader devices 345. In this regard, payment account information maybe read from the payment card and provided to one or more controllersthat are configured to determine whether the payment account informationmatches information that has been read from a corresponding form towhich the payment card is attached.

Similar to the adhesive applicator 200 illustrated in FIG. 2, the cardstager 300 may be mounted onto one or more suitable brackets 350 thatfacilitate the adjustment of the card stager 300 in a lateral orside-to-side direction. For example, a position of the card stager 300may be adjusted along the length of the brackets 350. In this regard,the positioning of a payment card that is provided to a form that isadvanced underneath the card stager 300 may be varied in a lateraldirection. In certain embodiments, the brackets 350 may include slidesor rails, and the positioning of the card stager 300 on the brackets 350may be adjusted by sliding the card stager 300 along the slides. Thecard stager 300 may then be locked into place one a desired position isreached.

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of an example payment card picker 310or card selector that may be utilized in accordance with variousembodiments of the invention. The card picker 310 may be configured toselect a card from a stack of cards and provide the card to a paymentcard track 315 for advancement through a card stager 300. With referenceto FIG. 4, the brackets 320 or guides of a card supply are illustratedwithout a supply of payment cards to facilitate the description of thecard picker 310. One or more sensors 352, such as an optical sensor, mayfacilitate a determination of whether any payment cards are presentwithin the card supply. Given the presence of a stack of payment cards(or a single card), a bottom card on the stack may rest against one ormore posts 355 or extensions that extend from the brackets 320.

Additionally, the bottom card may be in contact with a cam 360 or disk.The cam 360 may be configured to pinch or catch a contacting edge of thepayment card and force the payment card under a roller 365 that pulls ordrives the payment card onto the payment card track 315. In certainembodiments, the cam 360 may include a slot or groove that is configuredto receive an edge of a payment card. In operation, a downward motion ofthe cam 360 may flex the payment card around the roller 365 such thatthe payment card reaches a pinch point between the roller 365 and atiming belt 334 associated with the track 315. For a foldable paymentcard, the payment card may be flexed in a direction that is transverseto the direction of the fold. In this regard, the payment card may bepicked and provided to the track 315 without folding the payment card.

The movement of the cam 360 may be controlled by a corresponding motor,such as the gear motor 325 discussed above with reference to FIG. 3. Themotor 325 may control the movement of a chain (element 327 of FIG. 3)that is connected between the motor 325 and the cam 360. As the chain327 is moved, the cam 360 may be moved up and down. As the cam 360 ismoved down, the cam 360 may flex a payment card such that card is pulledonto the track 315 by the roller 365. As the cam 360 is moved up, thecam 360 may contact the next available payment card. In this regard,individual payment cards may be picked or selected from a supply ofpayment cards, and the individual payment cards may be provided to apayment card track 315.

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of an example payment card stager 300that may be utilized in accordance with various embodiments of theinvention. With reference to FIG. 5, the motors 338 that control theadvancement of a payment card along the payment card track 315 areillustrated. Additionally, the motor 325 and chain 327 that control theoperation of the cam 360 are illustrated.

As desired, embodiments of the invention may include a payment cardstager 300 with more or less than the components illustrated in FIGS.3-5. Additionally, a card stager may include alternative components. Thecard stager 300 of FIGS. 3-5 is provided by way of example only.

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of example tracks 600 that may beutilized in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. Theillustrated tracks 600 may be incorporated into a suitable card mergemachine, such as the machine 100 illustrated in FIG. 1. For example, thetracks 600 may be examples of the first track 120 and the second track125 described above with reference to FIG. 1.

With reference to FIG. 6, a first track 605 may be configured to advancea form that is supplied to a merge machine 100. The first track 605 mayinclude any number of belts (e.g., timing belts) and/or rollers thatfacilitate the advancement of one or more forms. The belts and/orrollers may be controlled by one or more suitable motors, such as one ormore servo motors. In certain embodiments, the motors may besynchronized or coordinated. In this regard, the various components ofthe first track 605 may be electronically geared to one another and/orto components of a second track 610.

In operation, the first track 605 may receive a form from a form feeder,such as the form feeder 105 illustrated in FIG. 1, and the first track605 may advance the form beneath an adhesive applicator and a cardstaging component, such as the adhesive applicator 110 and card stagingcomponent 115 illustrated in FIG. 1. In this regard, an adhesive may besupplied to the form and a payment card may be supplied to the form suchthat the payment card contacts the adhesive. Once the payment card hasbeen supplied to the form, the first track 605 may advance the formthrough one or more folding devices, such as a plow folder. As shown inFIG. 1, one or more plow fold guides 615 may be configured to fold aform, and one or more associated rollers 620 may be configured to creasethe folded form. The folded form may then be passed over or by asuitable thickness sensor, such as the sensor 142 illustrated in FIG. 1,in order to determine whether a payment card has been attached to theform. The form may then be supplied to an output of the machine 100.

Any number of forms may be advanced along the first track 605 as desiredin various embodiments of the invention. In certain embodiments, themaximum number of forms that may be advanced along the first track 605may be determined based at least in part on the length of the firsttrack 605. Additionally, although the first track 605 is illustrated asa relatively straight track, the first track 605 may include any numberof curves or bends as desired in various embodiments of the invention.

The second track 610 may be configured to advance a payment card that issupplied to a merge machine 100. The second track 610 may include anynumber of belts (e.g., timing belts) and/or rollers that facilitate theadvancement of one or more payment cards. The belts and/or rollers maybe controlled by one or more suitable motors, such as one or more servomotors. In certain embodiments, the motors may be synchronized orcoordinated. In this regard, the various components of the second track610 may be electronically geared to one another and/or to components ofthe first track 605.

In operation, the second track 610 may receive a payment card from asuitable card picker, such as the card picker 310 illustrated in FIG. 3.The second track 610 may then advance the payment card through a cardstaging component, such as the card staging component 115 illustrated inFIG. 1. In this regard, payment account information may be read from thepayment card to facilitate a comparison to payment information read froma corresponding form. According to an aspect of the invention, thesecond track 610 may include an inclined portion that is configured tosupply a payment card to a form that is advanced along the first track605. For example, the inclined portion may be positioned above the firsttrack 605, and a card may be advanced along the inclined portion untilit advanced off of an edge of the inclined portion and onto a form thatis positioned on the first track 605. According to an aspect of theinvention, the payment card may be advanced along the second track 610without the payment card being folded.

Any number of payment cards may be advanced along the second track 610as desired in various embodiments of the invention. In certainembodiments, the maximum number of payment cards that may be advancedalong the second track 610 may be determined based at least in part onthe length of the second track 610. In one example embodiment,approximately five to seven cards may be advanced along the second track610 at any given time during the operation of the machine 100. Forexample, six cards may be positioned on the second track 610 and aseventh card may be positioned within a return guide associated with thesecond track 610.

As desired, embodiments of the invention may include tracks 600 withmore or less than the components illustrated in FIG. 6. For example, atrack may additionally include one or more components that areconfigured to stuff or supply forms to envelopes and/or mailers.Additionally, one or more tracks may include alternative components. Thetracks 600 of FIG. 6 are provided by way of example only.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating one example method 700 for mergingpayment cards and forms, according to an example embodiment of theinvention. The method may be performed by and/or utilized in associationwith a suitable card merge machine, such as the machine 100 illustratedin FIG. 1. The method 700 may begin at block 705.

At block 705, a form may be provided from a supply of forms to a firsttrack that is configured to advance the form through a card mergemachine 100. As desired, a form may be provided to a first trackutilizing any number of suitable form feeder devices, such as the formfeeder 105 described above with reference to FIG. 1. According to anaspect of the invention, individual forms may be provided to the firsttrack. Additionally, as desired, data such as payment accountinformation may be read from the form either prior to the form beingprovided to the first track or after the form has been provided to thefirst track.

At block 710, an adhesive may be applied or provided to the form as theform is advanced along the first track. For example, the form may beadvanced along the first track below a suitable adhesive applicator,such as the adhesive applicator 110 illustrated in FIG. 1, and theadhesive applicator 110 may apply an adhesive to the form. A widevariety of suitable types of adhesive may be applied to the form asdesired in various embodiments of the invention, such as double-sidedtape or a liquid adhesive. Additionally, as desired in certainembodiments, adhesive may be applied to multiple areas of the form. Asan alternative to or in addition to applying an adhesive to the form, anadhesive may be applied to a payment card prior to the payment cardbeing supplied to the form.

At block 715, a payment card, such as a foldable payment card, may beselected or picked from a supply of payment cards. For example, asuitable card picker, such as the card picker 310 illustrated in FIG. 4,may be configured to select a payment card from a stack or other supplyof payment cards. According to an aspect of the invention, a foldablepayment card may be selected or picked without folding the payment card.For example, the payment card may be selected by flexing the paymentcard in a direction that is transverse to the direction of the fold,thereby facilitating the selection of the payment card without foldingthe card. The selected payment card may then be provided to a secondtrack at block 720.

At block 725, the selected payment card may be advanced along the secondtrack to a position in which the payment card is supplied or provided tothe form being advanced along the first track. For example, the secondtrack may be positioned at least partially above the first track, andthe second track may include an inclined portion that is configured toprovide the payment card to the form on the first track. The paymentcard may be advanced off of the end of the second track such that thepayment card makes contact with the adhesive that has been provided tothe form positioned below the second track on the first track. Accordingto an aspect of the invention, the payment card may be advanced alongthe second track such that the payment card is not folded by the secondtrack.

In certain embodiments, payment account information included, stored,embedded, or programmed onto the payment card may be read by one or moresuitable readers (e.g., magnetic stripe readers, RF readers, etc.) asthe payment card is advanced along the second track. In this regard, thepayment account information included on the payment card may be comparedto corresponding information included on a form to which the paymentcard will be provided. The comparison may facilitate a determination asto whether the payment card matches a form to which the payment card ismerged. If it is determined that the payment card and form do not match,then the payment card and form may be diverted or routed to a suitabledivert or rejection bin as desired.

At block 730, the payment card may be pressed into the adhesive, therebyfacilitating and/or enforcing a bond between the payment card and theform. For example, the payment card and the form may be passed throughone or more suitable rollers that are configured to press the paymentcard into the adhesive.

At block 735, which may be optional in certain embodiments of theinvention, the form may be folded one or more times after the paymentcard has been attached to the form. For example, the form may beprocessed by one or more suitable folding devices, such as a plowfolder, that are configured to fold the form. In this regard, the formmay be prepared for mailing to a customer desiring to use the paymentcard.

The method 700 may end following block 735.

In certain embodiments, certain operations of the method 700 may becoordinated, controlled, and/or performed by one or more suitablecontrollers and/or control units, such as the controller 150 illustratedin FIG. 1. For example, the controller 150 may facilitate thesynchronization and/or coordination of the advancement of the form alongthe first track and the advancement of the payment card along the secondtrack. In certain embodiments, the controller 150 may control thesynchronization or coordination of one or more motors that facilitatethe advancement of the first track and the second track. However, asdesired in certain embodiments, the various motors may additionally oralternatively include their own control logic and/or programmableinstructions that facilitate the coordination of the motors.Additionally, in certain embodiments, the controller 150 or a separatecontroller may be configured to receive information read from the formand information read from the payment card. The controller 150 may thenbe configured to compare the received information in order to determinewhether the payment card matches the form.

The operations described and shown in the method 700 of FIG. 7 may becarried out or performed in any suitable order as desired in variousembodiments of the invention. Additionally, in certain embodiments, atleast a portion of the operations may be carried out in parallel.Furthermore, in certain embodiments, less than or more than theoperations described in FIG. 7 may be performed.

The invention is described above with reference to block and flowdiagrams of systems, methods, apparatuses, and/or computer programproducts according to example embodiments of the invention. It will beunderstood that one or more blocks of the block diagrams and flowdiagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flowdiagrams, respectively, can be implemented by computer-executableprogram instructions. Likewise, some blocks of the block diagrams andflow diagrams may not necessarily need to be performed in the orderpresented, or may not necessarily need to be performed at all, accordingto some embodiments of the invention.

These computer-executable program instructions may be loaded onto ageneral purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a processor, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a particularmachine, such that the instructions that execute on the computer,processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus create meansfor implementing one or more functions specified in the flowchart blockor blocks. These computer program instructions may also be stored in acomputer-readable memory that can direct a computer or otherprogrammable data processing apparatus to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readablememory produce an article of manufacture including instruction meansthat implement one or more functions specified in the flow diagram blockor blocks. As an example, embodiments of the invention may provide for acomputer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having acomputer readable program code or program instructions embodied therein,said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implementone or more functions specified in the flow diagram block or blocks. Thecomputer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer orother programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series ofoperational elements or steps to be performed on the computer or otherprogrammable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process suchthat the instructions that execute on the computer or other programmableapparatus provide elements or steps for implementing the functionsspecified in the flow diagram block or blocks.

Accordingly, blocks of the block diagrams and flow diagrams supportcombinations of means for performing the specified functions,combinations of elements or steps for performing the specified functionsand program instruction means for performing the specified functions. Itwill also be understood that each block of the block diagrams and flowdiagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flowdiagrams, can be implemented by special-purpose, hardware-based computersystems that perform the specified functions, elements or steps, orcombinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

While the invention has been described in connection with what ispresently considered to be the most practical and various embodiments,it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to thedisclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover variousmodifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit andscope of the appended claims.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention,including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in theart to practice the invention, including making and using any devices orsystems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope ofthe invention is defined in the claims, and may include other examplesthat occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intendedto be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elementsthat do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if theyinclude equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differencesfrom the literal languages of the claims.

The claimed invention is:
 1. A payment card merge machine, comprising: afirst feeder configured to receive a first supply of paper forms and toprovide a paper form from the first supply to a first track that isconfigured to advance the paper form; a second feeder configured toreceive a second supply of foldable payment cards, the foldable paymentcards configured to fold or collapse in at least one direction, andselect a single foldable payment card from the second supply without thesingle foldable payment card being folded; a card picker configured toselect the single foldable payment card from the second supply offoldable payment cards and supply the single foldable payment card to asecond track, wherein the card picker comprises a cam to supply thesingle foldable payment card from the second supply from the secondfeeder to the second track; the second track that is configured toreceive the single foldable payment card from the card picker andadvance the single foldable payment card, without folding the singlefoldable payment card, to a position in which the single foldablepayment card is supplied to the paper form; an applicator configured toapply an adhesive to one of (i) the paper form as the paper form isadvanced along the first track or (ii) the single foldable payment cardas the single foldable payment card is advanced along the second track,wherein the adhesive is a removable adhesive configured to attach thesingle foldable payment card to the paper form once the single foldablepayment card is supplied to the paper form; and a controller that isconfigured to control the advancement of the first track and the secondtrack.
 2. The payment card merge machine of claim 1, wherein thecontroller comprises a first controller, and further comprising: a firstreader configured to read first payment account information from thepaper form; and a second reader configured to read second paymentaccount information from the single foldable payment card; and a secondcontroller configured to receive the first payment account informationand the second payment account information and determine whether thefirst payment account information matches the second payment accountinformation.
 3. The payment card merge machine of claim 2, wherein thefoldable payment cards comprise at least one of the following: abutterfly-type foldable payment card, a foldable payment card with afold that extends approximately through the center of the foldablepayment card in a lengthwise direction, or a foldable payment card witha fold that extends approximately through the center of the foldablepayment card in a direction corresponding to an elongated edge of thefoldable payment card.
 4. The payment card merge machine of claim 1,wherein the first supply of paper forms comprises one of a supply ofpaper forms or a supply of post cards.
 5. The payment card merge machineof claim 1, wherein the adhesive comprises a double-sided tape.
 6. Thepayment card merge machine of claim 1, wherein the second trackcomprises an inclined track that drops the single foldable payment cardonto the paper form.
 7. The payment card merge machine of claim 1,wherein a movement of the first track is controlled by a first set ofone or more servo motors and a movement of the second track iscontrolled by a second set of one or more servo motors, and wherein thecontroller is further configured to coordinate the first set and thesecond set of one or more servo motors.
 8. The payment card mergemachine of claim 1, wherein the card picker is configured to select thesingle foldable payment card by flexing the single foldable payment cardin a direction that is transverse to the direction of a fold of thesingle foldable payment card.
 9. The payment card merge machine of claim1, further comprising: at least one roller configured to press thesingle foldable payment card onto the paper form subsequent to thesingle foldable payment card being supplied to the paper form.
 10. Thepayment card merge machine of claim 1, wherein a position of theapplicator and the second feeder is adjustable.
 11. The payment cardmerge machine of claim 1, further comprising: at least one folder deviceconfigured to fold the paper form subsequent to the supply of the singlefolded payment card to the paper form.
 12. The payment card mergemachine of claim 1, further comprising: at least one optical sensorconfigured to determine whether the single foldable payment card hasbeen supplied to the paper form.